The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for melting matrix material with higher thermal energy recovery than can be achieved by processes of the prior art.
The term "matrix material", as used in this disclosure, comprehends all materials having viscous softening and homogeneous liquified melting characteristics and also having a homogeneous composition in the solid state. Some examples are glasses, irons, ceramics (such as synopal), artificial lightweight aggregates, and high polymers.
Recovery of thermal energy has become increasingly important in recent years, particularly in the manufacturing industry. Studies of the recovery of thermal energy in processes for melting matrix materials have shown such recovery to be only about 15 and 17 percent of the available thermal energy.